Cotton cleaner



F. D. ROAN COTTON CLEANER Nov. 11, 1930.

Original Filed April 23. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 clam/m,

Nov. 11, 1930. F. D. ROAN 1,781,343

COTTON CLEANER Original Filed April 23. 1929 2 Shets-Sheet 2 .PatentedNov. '11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Horn 1). norm, or vnwnm,Texas, ASSIGNOR Tor. n. ROAN MACHINE COMPANY,

" l i or NEWLIN, TEXAS, A CORPORATION or rnxas sorrow CLEANERApplication med April as, 1929, seria m. 357,550. Renewed September 23,1930.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning cotton. p -i Theprimary object of the present invention: is. to provides. cottoncleaning machine which will'efiectively remove from the cotton allleaves, twigs, and dirtwithout whipping the cotton or breaking the fiberor stringing the cotton. i

Another object of. the invention is to provide an apparatus for cleaningcotton which operates by driving air through the cotton asthe same ispassed over and agitated on cleaning screens, instead of making thecotton cleaner a part of an air line for extractingathe dirt from thecotton by suction as is doneaccording to the present methods.

The invention broadly contemplates the provision of a a casingofl-elongated construction having an inletor feedhopper at one endand adischarge opening or port at the opposite end, there being suspended inthe casing between the ends, a plurality of transverse? concave.screens, in each of which is positioned a beater drum provided with apluralityof relatively long whipping fingers. In the upperpart of thecasing over each of the'beater drums is mounted a rotary fan whichdrives a blast of air directly down- -wardly upon the underlying drum,forcing dirt from the cotton in the underlying screens downwardlytherethrough into an underlying receiving structure. The dirt receivingstructure has a valved outlet which is timed to open at intervals forthe discharge of the dirt removed from the cotton.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing forming a partofthe prescut invention with the understanding,howthe drawingbut may be changed ormodified so long as such changes ormodifications mark no material departure fromthe salient feae tures ofthe invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figu-rel is a view partly in longitudinal section andpartlyin side elevationof the cotton cleaning machine embodying thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic top plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of a portion of one of the curtains inthe machine.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44: of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view on line 55 of Figure 1. 1

opposite end the wall is provided with an outlet opening 7. a

Extending longitudinally of the frames 1 is a series of concave screens8 which hang from the lower beams 9 of the frames and extendtransversely of the machine, as shown.

.Above each of the concave screens each beam 9 carries a bearing 10 1nWhlCl'I 1s supported one end of a cylinder shaft 11, each of; whichcarries a beater cylinder 12, which is formed by extending throughtheshafts a plurality of rods 13 which project radially therefrom providingbeater fingers which, when the cylinders are rotated, sweep over theunderlying arcuate screen. 1 These beater fingers from the shaftsoutwardly are of substantial length, preferably approximately teninches, so that ample space is provided between the shafts and theunderlying screens to prevent jamming or packing of the cotton and toallow the air forced down against the cylinder by the fans hereinafterdescribed, to have free passage through the cotton and screens.

The top beam 14.- of each frame member carries at a point above each ofthe bearings bearings are fan shafts 16, each of which carries acylinder fan'17. 'The top' l above each of the cylinder fans is providedwith an air inlet opening 18 through which air can be supplied to theinterior ofthe machine by the fans. These-fans, aretof the :usual construction, comprising a se riesof blades 17 extending longitudinally ofand projecting radially fro nthe shafts-16 and being secured thereto bythe strap brackets 1Zwhich are carried by the shafts.

The tops of the casings in which the fan blades are housed are providedwith suitable air inlet apertures 17 through which air is drawn to beblown downwardly through the outlet chutes 17 which *open tangentiallyfrom the casings 17.

' Suspended transversely of the machine beneath each of the cylinderfans '17, are transverse sheets or curtains 19'made up of'a plu-'rality'of strips of flexible material such as belting or the-like, thelower ends thereof terminating at a point just above the beater fingers13 of the underlying cylinder. V These serve toforce the air drawndownwardly from the cylinder fans to pass beneath the beatersand'through the' screens instead of being partially deflected to passover the heaters. 1 At the lowermost point of the hopper 5,

there is positioned a rotary valve 21 which is designed to beintermittently operated for the periodic discharge of the. dirtcollected in'the lower part of the hopper fromthe cotton passing throughthe'machine. The rotary ;valve as shown in Figures 1 to 4: is ofsemicylindrical formation and is designed to be intermittently rotatedas above described so that a complete rotationthereof will "be di-'vided into four periods in two of which half of thehopper dischargeopening willbe un covered and between these two periodsthe opening willbe completely closed. Noparticular Inean'shas been shown for creatingthe intermittent rotarv movement of the valve as any number of methodsmay be employed for the performance of this function.

In the operation'of the present machine "any'suitable means mavbeemployed formtating the beater cylinders 12 and the fans 17,'as'forexample,the shafts 11 of the beater cylinders may be provided withpulleys 2O 7 'in-the-manner shown, with belt connections therebetween sothat all ofthe cylinders will be made to rotate'in the same direction.*It will be rea'dily'seen from'th'e foregoing that ing the pas sage'ofthe cotton" through the machineovr thesescreens it will be thor oughlyshaken or agitated to permit the air tending transversely -ofthecasing,'-;beater1 as the cotton after passing through the boll breakingmachine is discharged into the hopper 6, it will first fall upon thenearest one of the screens 8 where it will be. caught bythe fingers. ofthe first cylinder'12' and discharged therefrom after thorough' .agita-'tion into-the next screen and so on to the other end of the machinefromwhich it will bedischarg'ed through the o pening.7..,.Dur-.

blown downwardly thereonby thefans 17 to pass therethrough and extract?all of the dirt, dust, twigs, etc therefrom. a we Having thus describedmy invention, what Iclaim is:- I 4V V lfl'n a'cotton cleaning machine, aclosed casing,"a pluralityof concave screens extending-transversely ofthe casing, beater cylinders operating in each of said screens tomovethe cotton from one end of the cars ing to the other over thescreens, a dirt receiverbeneath said screens, fans in theupper portionof the machine for delivering air downwardly against each ofsaidcylinders for blowing the dirt from thecotton, and a curtaindepending from each of said fans to a'point in 'close proximity to thebeater lying therebeneath and extending transverse- 595 lv of the casingwhereby to dividethe casing 'intoa series ofr mpartme'ntS.

2L In a cotton clean1ngmachine,"a closed cas ng, a: plurality of concavescreens ;ex-

cylinders operating in each -of said'screens to move the cotton from oneend of the casing to the other over the screen's,"adirt resceive'rbenea'th said. screens, fans in the upper portionof the; machinefor delivering :air w downwardly against eachofsaid cylinders forblowingthe dirt from thecotton, a curtain depending from each of saidfans to a point in close-'proximity'to the beater lying there-'beneathfand extendingtransversely fo'f thetiuo casing, said curtaindividing the casing into a series of succes sive compartments, and "arotary discharge valve in the lower portion I of sa1d (dirt IGCGIVQI"designed to inte-rmlttently operate for the removal of 'dirt'there-'from V a v 3. Ina cotton cleaning machine of the character described,'acotton beatingstructure including 'a plurality of concave screens androtary 'beaters working therein. fan means for delivering an air blastdownwardly fromthe. beaters and screens, curtain means depending fromsaid fan m'eans,-the

lower endportions of" said curtainmeans -terminating-adjacent theperiphery of said beaters, a dirt hopper beneath 'sai'dscreens,

and an intermittently operated rotatable dirt receiver mounted in thehopper.

' 4.111121 cotton cleaning machine 'of the character-described, a closedcasing,'ia plurality of concave screens extending transversely of thecasing, rotatable beaters for each of said screens, individual fan meansadapted to deliver an air blast against each of said screens, curtainmeans depending from said fan means and extending transversely of saidcasing whereby to divide said casing into a. series of successivecompartments, a depending dirt hopper beneath said screens, and arotatable dirt receiver for intermittently removing dirt from saidhopper.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

FLOYD D. ROAN.

